Download or read book Dixie Diva Blues written by Virginia Brown and published by BelleBooks. This book was released on 2011-11-01 with total page 293 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Trinket and the Gang Will Stop At Nothing To Clear A Diva's Husband of Murder Charges. "You'd think a midnight prowler would have sense enough to get out after being discovered by a group of middle-aged women armed with flower vases. Or at least stop what he was doing. Not this one. Despite our menacing appearance, he kept opening cabinet doors and drawers. "Our intruder wore what looked like a black Ninja outfit. It did not flatter. He was a bit chunky and not much taller than me. Nor did he move very fast as Gaynelle and I bore down on him like a freight train. Instead of screaming in fear and fleeing out the front door-which stood wide open to help facilitate his escape-he turned away from the cabinet he had opened and threw something heavy. It was a Mason jar, and it hit poor Gaynelle right smack in the middle of the forehead. She dropped to the floor like a sack of flour. I looked down at her, then up at the masked intruder. Eyes glittered at me from the tiny eyeholes, and as he seemed to be unarmed-no more Mason jars at hand-I let out a bellow and charged him." VIRGINIA BROWN is the author of more than fifty novels in romance and mystery. Next up in her bestselling Dixie Divas Mysteries: Divas and Dead Rebels. And coming soon: the Blue Suede Memphis Mysteries and Virginia's mystery/drama saga, Dark River Road.

Download or read book Hound Dog Blues written by Virginia Brown and published by BelleBooks. This book was released on 2012-02-22 with total page 239 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Who says a Gen X hipster can't solve old-school mysteries? Harley Jean's a failed college student. Her brief career in corporate banking went up in flames. She can't find Mr. Right and might settle for Mr. Wrong. She's twenty-six-years old--staring down the barrel at thirty--and now she works as a tour guide in the whacko land of Elvis. She's named after a motorcycle. Her dad's an Elvis impersonator. Her Mom talks to spirit guides. Someone kidnaps her family's dog--named King, in Elvis's honor. There's a ransom note. And then, things really get weird. Memphis tour guide Harley Jean Davidson is about to enjoy a rare day off when her parents call with news that King, their border collie, has been dognapped. Harley Jean's mom insists the culprit is Bruno Jett, their next door neighbor. Harley Jean would rather run over her own foot with a motorcycle than talk to him. He's drop-dead gorgeous--with a dangerous attitude she'd like to avoid. But King has to be rescued, so she sets off to find him. Harley Jean gets more than she bargains for when she finds a body, as well. Bruno Jett is definitely involved, but how? The Memphis P.D. wants to pin the murder on Harley Jean's dad. Now it's up to her to clear his name . . . and avoid becoming the killer's next victim. Leaving corporate banking for a job free of stress had been a matter of survival. So here she was, in her late twenties and burned out, but finally in a job she didn't have to take home with her at night. It was a good trade-off--most of the time. At least, when she didn't have to deal with a very sexy possible murderer . . . The basement door opened. Looking up, she saw Jett through the cracks in the wooden stairs. For a moment he just stood on the top step, the door propped open with his foot, then he let it close softly behind him but remained still and silent. He knew someone was here. The lights . . . she'd left the lights on. She barely breathed, just shallow breaths to keep from passing out, afraid he'd hear her. Bruno Magli shoes descended to the second riser. She briefly closed her eyes, thoughts of O.J. and his infamous shoes reverberating ominously in her brain. Surely, it was coincidence. The shoes descended another step, then another, and she held her breath until her ears rang and her lungs ached. The shoes stopped on the second from the bottom stair. She saw denim though the gaps, dark socks, long legs--she looked up and her gaze locked with dark blue eyes peering at her through the risers. Oh damn. He smiled, but it wasn't a very nice smile. "Well," he said, "I seem to have an uninvited visitor." "I . . . uh, was just looking for you." "And now you've found me." He reached the floor and turned to look at her where she'd edged out from beneath the stairs to feel for an escape route in the concrete block walls. "Why yes," she said, aware she spoke too brightly, "here you are. Now that you're home, I'll just be going." "No, I don't think so." He moved a few steps closer, near enough she could see the cold, dangerous gleam in his eyes. Uh oh. "Oh, I don't mind," she said, "really. I think I hear my mother calling me." "They're not home." She stared at him suspiciously. "And how do you know that?" "Because that obscene, puke green van is gone from the driveway." "Oh." That sounded logical. After all, it had been Bobby's first clue. So maybe Jett hadn't done anything to them or was responsible for them leaving. Maybe. He loomed over her. "I don't like you being here, and I don't like my privacy violated. Usually, I tend to get nasty about things like this." Uh oh. Not at all a promising conversation. Virginia Brown is the author of more than fifty novels, most recently the bestselling Dixie Diva Mysteries and the acclaimed mystery/drama, Dark River Road.

Download or read book Divas and Dead Rebels written by Virginia Brown and published by BelleBooks. This book was released on 2012-09-28 with total page 372 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The bestselling DIXIE DIVAS mystery series continues! Trinket and her pals are, once again, caught in the middle of a murder scene... "Professor Sturgis is dead." "Hah!" replied my cousin/best friend/partner in mayhem. "I'm not that lucky." "It's true," I said as I pointed to her son's dorm room closet. "Look for yourself. But I warn you--it's not a pretty sight." My warning did not deter Bitty Hollandale from peering into the closet where the dead professor was propped against a shoe rack. She immediately recoiled. "Good lord! I thought you were joking . . . it . . . how horrible!" I didn't say "I told you so" although I could have. I was still too rattled myself to take a verbal swing at Bitty. What I'd thought was an untidy pile of clothing tumbling out of the closet turned out to be a professor with whom Bitty had just quarreled that very morning. This was not a good thing. Virginia Brown is the author of The Dixie Divas Mysteries, The Blue Suede Memphis Mysteries, and a mystery/drama, Dark River Road. As a long-time resident of Mississippi, award-winning author Virginia Brown has lived in several different areas of the state, and finds the history, romance, and intrigue of the Deep South irresistible. Although having spent her childhood as a "military brat" living all over the US, and overseas, this author of nearly fifty novels is now happily settled in and drawing her favorite fictional characters from the wonderful, whimsical Southerners she has known and loved.

Download or read book Divas Do Tell written by Virginia Brown and published by Bell Bridge Books. This book was released on 2013-10-25 with total page 336 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Lights! Camera! Murder! Trinket and the gang, beware! Hollywood descends on Holly Springs, and soon it's up to the Divas to keep the stars from falling like magnolia blooms in a trailer-park tornado. Someone doesn't want DARK SECRETS UNDER THE HOLLY to reach the big screen. He--or she--is willing to kill locals, movie stars, and maybe even Divas to stop it. Diva-sister Dixie Lee Forsythe wrote the juicy tell-all about a historic Mississippi town very much like Holly Springs, and a lot of townsfolk would be happy to strangle her. Bitty is in a blond lather over a gossipy story line about a philandering Senator who very much resembles her late husband. And even Trinket's a little miffed at Dixie Lee's oh-so-recognizable Trinket Truevine character, described as, "built like a girls' basketball coach--not necessarily a female one." Dixie Lee starts getting mysterious death threats, an actress brings being a diva to heights even Bitty can't match, and a production assistant is murdered. If Trinket, Bitty, and the Divas don't solve this case quick, Oscars season in Tinsel Town will be short a whole bunch of stars.

Download or read book Divas Are Forever written by Virginia Brown and published by Bell Bridge Books. This book was released on 2018-12-03 with total page 311 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Trinket, Bitty and the Divas usually enjoy participating in the annual tour of Holly Springs, Mississippi's antebellum homes and historical sites. This year the reenactment of a raid on Union soldiers at the railroad depot goes horribly awry. Before they can say "Not again!" Trinket and Bitty are deeply involved in murder, mayhem, and Diva drama. It's bad enough that Bitty's son has been accused of using real bullets in the reenactment, but she insists their heirloom rifle hasn't worked in a hundred years. Who's trying to frame her son? It isn't long before Bitty and Trinket are tangled up with a most unusual private detective, a list of suspects, and a killer determined to stop them all. . . . Author Bio: Since her first romance novel came out in 1984, Virginia Brown has written over 50 novels. Many of her books have been nominated for Romantic Times' Reviewer's Choice, Career Achievement Award for Love and Laughter, Career Achievement Award for Adventure, EPIC eBook nomination for Historical Romance, and she received the RT Career Achievement Award for Historical Adventure, as well as the EPIC eBook Award for Mainstream Fiction. Her works have regularly appeared on national bestseller lists. She lives near her children in North Mississippi, surrounded by a menagerie of beloved dogs and cats while she writes.

Download or read book Suspicious Mimes written by Virginia Brown and published by Bell Bridge Books. This book was released on 2012-07-05 with total page 276 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Maybe Harley Jean Davidson should have finished college, but at the time it hadn't seemed nearly as important as it did now. She should have stayed in corporate banking. She should have settled down with Mr. Right instead of dallying with Mr. Right Now--irresistible Memphis detective Mike Morgan. It was time to put her shallow youth behind her. She was closing in on thirty, entering the halls of maturity, and proving that she has a talent for catching bad guys. Things could be worse. Much worse. Her job as a Memphis tour guide is about to get even stranger than usual. "Hey," she called, "last stop for all Elvi. This is it, sir. Sir?" He didn't respond, just remained in his seat on the bus, staring out the window. Maybe he'd gotten cold feet about the Elvis contest. With a sigh, Harley walked to the back. "Hey, buddy," she said when she reached his seat, "we're here. Time to go on stage and sing your heart out. Knock 'em dead." When he still didn't respond, Harley put a hand on his shoulder to give him a slight shake. He slumped forward, his head hit the back of the seat in front of him, and she jumped into the aisle. The hilt of a knife protruded from his back. She froze. This couldn't be happening. Not to him, not to her, again. She leaned closer, and the rusty smell of blood made her stomach lurch. Backing slowly away, she fumbled at her waist for the cell phone that she now kept tethered to her with a chain, and hit speed dial. The police dispatcher answered quickly. "Nine-one-one?" Harley said in a voice that sounded a lot calmer than she felt. "We have another dead Elvis." Will her talent (jinx?) for stumbling into crime scenes eighty-six her relationship with Mike? Was he working up to a break up or just still upset about the dead Elvis in her van? Only one way to find out. "So," she said when she put the heated plate of fried rice and egg rolls in front of him, "is this a break up?" He gave her a startled look. "What are you talking about?" "Me finding bodies. You not liking that. Us. Maybe we need to talk about it." "Yeah. Well. I'm not really good at that kind of conversation." "Me either." She sat down in the chair opposite him, and Sam immediately jumped up on the cushioned arm to sniff her plate. He purred. Little beggar. She gave him a piece of rice and he gave her a horrified look. Then he leaped down to cross to Morgan, who had chicken fried rice. Morgan obliged the cat with a piece of chicken, and then looked over at Harley. "Maybe we just need a break from each other. Just for a couple weeks or a month. Something like that. Give us time to think about . . . things." Her throat got tight, but she nodded casually. "I think you're right. I don't want you to feel like I'm jeopardizing your job, and lately I can't seem to stop tripping over bodies. I don't know what it is. Some kind of murder magnet, I guess." One corner of his mouth tucked into a wry smile. "Any chance you can get rid of it?" Virginia Brown is the author of more than fifty novels, most recently the bestselling Dixie Diva Mysteries and the acclaimed mystery/drama, Dark River Road.

Download or read book The Moon Rider written by Virginia Brown and published by Bell Bridge Books. This book was released on 2015-10-22 with total page 378 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Rhianna knew he didn't remember her. She shouldn't be surprised, but she was gravely disappointed. He'd left her behind without a thought so long ago, yet she had never forgotten him . . . Her revenge will make him even more notorious. No longer able to properly care for her ailing father, Rhianna disguises herself as the infamous Moon Rider and takes to the highways to secure the funds she so desperately needs. She intends to let the dangerous highwayman take the blame for the robberies. Yet they share perilous secrets, and the discovery will shock them both. Hardened by his past and the demands of his country, the sixth Earl of Wolverton waits in the dark for this reckless beauty who dares to impersonate the Moon Rider. She cannot be permitted to wreck his carefully orchestrated plans. Rhianna's revenge will ignite a passion that burns out of control as their lives entwine in a deadly game of espionage and abduction. Virginia Brown has written more than 50 novels since her first romance novel came out in 1984. Many of her books have been nominated for Romantic Times' Reviewer's Choice, Career Achievement Award for Love and Laughter, and Career Achievement Award for Adventure. Writing as Juliana Garnett, she received the Career Achievement Award for Historical Adventure in 2002. Author of the bestselling Dixie Diva mystery series, Ms. Brown's mainstream Southern drama/mystery, Dark River Road, won the national Epic e-Book Award in 2013 for Best Mainstream.

Download or read book Emerald Nights written by Virginia Brown and published by Bell Bridge Books. This book was released on 2016-03-15 with total page 377 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A legendary adventurer seeking fame and treasure in 1880's Peru. A headstrong California beauty who'll do anything to protect her father, a professor determined to find the lost Incan city of Vilcapampa. If the jungle doesn't kill them, will love stand a chance? The lady has just met her match. He wasn't her type of man. And yet . . . "We're probably making a big mistake," he said roughly, and she nodded. "Very likely." "Are you sure this is what you want?" She drew in a deep, trembling breath. "More than anything." His reaction took her by surprise. He pulled her to him, his mouth crashing down on hers with bruising force, invading her with his tongue as he backed her toward the bed. It almost hurt, but she tasted his urgency, and heat and desire rose in her as sharp and strong. He shoved a hand through her hair, loosened the pins and let them scatter atop the mattress and onto the floor, raked his fingers through the loose braids to free it around her shoulders, splayed his fingers over her back, tugged at laces that held her jabot around her neck. He tossed it aside, unbuttoned her blouse and peeled it down her arms, freed her mouth for a moment to regard the Flynt Waist beneath with less than enthusiastic scrutiny. Heart hammering, she helped him untie the laces and stood silently when he slid it off her. . . . Virginia Brown has written more than fifty historical and contemporary romance novels. Many of her books have been nominated for Romantic Times' Reviewer's Choice Award, Career Achievement Award for Love and Laughter, and Career Achievement Award for Adventure. She is also the author of the bestselling Dixie Diva mystery series and the acclaimed mainstream Southern drama/mystery, Dark River Road, which won the national Epic e-Book Award in 2013 for Best Mainstream.

Download or read book A Colorado Christmas written by Virginia Brown and published by Bell Bridge Books. This book was released on 2013-11-12 with total page 69 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Once an outlaw, always an outlaw? Has Caitlin returned to her old ways, despite marriage and motherhood? Can Jake rescue her before she's lost forever? Even after seven years of marriage and four children, he still had the power to make her body tingle and her senses reel. There had always been that between them, since the first time they'd met. It was what had kept them together in the beginning, even against incredible odds. And now--now she wasn't certain that attraction was enough anymore. There were other things that mattered, unanswered questions that circled in her mind and destroyed her peace. She had to get away for a while to think things through. Caitlin Lassiter tearfully boards a train with hers and Jake's children in tow, planning to spend Christmas with her brother, Devon, and his wife, Maggie. Then fate throws an old enemy in her way--Charwell, a fellow bandit from her lawless years. He's boarded her train to rob the passengers, and when he recognizes "Colorado Kate," he kidnaps her to help him pull off some bigger jobs. Now it's up to Jake, Devon,¬ and Maggie to find her before the Law does, because it certainly looks like Colorado Kate has gone back to the wrong side of justice.

Download or read book Jade Moon written by Virginia Brown and published by Bell Bridge Books. This book was released on 2016 with total page 333 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Jaguar is as dangerous as his name . . . AN EXOTIC JOURNEY . . . Leaving America behind, Eden Miller accompanies her husband to Mexico on his obsessive quest for the Lost Jade City of the Yucatan. But the jungle takes him in one swift, terrifying blow . . . leaving Eden alone amid the ruins of an ancient civilization, with no one to turn to except a legendary adventurer . . . . . . INTO THE SAVAGE HEART OF DESIRE Amid the sultry heat of the tropics, El Jaguar is as sleek, sensual, and dangerous as the predator whose name he bears. Yet even as Eden tastes his passion, she senses the pain and sorrow behind his glittering, golden eyes. Together, they journey deeper into a world of primitive wonders and darkest treachery. There, the hunter will become the prey, as Eden risks her life to uncover El Jaguar's secrets--and claim a love as enduring as the most priceless treasure . . . Virginia Brown has written more than fifty historical and contemporary romance novels. Many of her books have been nominated for Romantic Times' Reviewer's Choice Award, Career Achievement Award for Love and Laughter, and Career Achievement Award for Adventure. She is also the author of the bestselling Dixie Diva mystery series and the acclaimed mainstream Southern drama/mystery, Dark River Road, which won the national Epic e-Book Award in 2013 for Best Mainstream.

Download or read book The Laird written by Virginia Brown and published by Bell Bridge Books. This book was released on 2018-09-05 with total page 249 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "...a rare jewel to cherish if you love history as much as you do romance." -RT Book Reviews on The Laird Scotland, 1327... Judith Lindsay is not just an English-born enemy of Clan Campbell--she's the widow of Kenneth Lindsay, whose family holds a child promised to Argyll, the Campbell Clan's overlord. Robert Campbell is not just a Scottish warrior for King Robert Bruce--he's a new laird of his own lands, won on the battlefield against the English. Fate brings Judith to Rob when his father abducts her along with the Lindsay child at the behest of Argyll, a powerful man Rob detests. The deaths of his seven brothers in the skirmish with Clan Lindsay should make him hate Judith--but Rob soon finds that there is much more to this woman than he expected. She has steely determination beneath her cool beauty, and untouched passion that lures Rob to vanquish the boundaries set upon them by old feuds and loyalties . . . But they are a people at war. Can they survive the inevitable clash to find love and peace in the Scottish Highlands? Since her first romance novel came out in 1984, Virginia Brown has written over 50 novels. Many of her books have been nominated for Romantic Times' Reviewer's Choice, Career Achievement Award for Love and Laughter, Career Achievement Award for Adventure, EPIC eBook nomination for Historical Romance, and she received the RT Career Achievement Award for Historical Adventure, as well as the EPIC eBook Award for Mainstream Fiction. Her works have regularly appeared on national bestseller lists. She lives near her children in North Mississippi, surrounded by a menagerie of beloved dogs and cats while she writes.

Download or read book Renegade Embrace written by Virginia Brown and published by Bell Bridge Books. This book was released on 2014-03-06 with total page 411 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Destiny brought them together in Spanish California. She is a New Orleans lady with a defiant thirst for adventure. He is a New Orleans scoundrel with a talent for seduction. Hot-tempered belle Laurette Allen gets more than she bargained for when she leaves the stifling confines of polite, southern society for the wilds of 1830s California. At her very first fiesta, she is nearly seduced by notorious Cade Caldwell, a fellow Louisianan whose reputation for swordplay is only exceeded by his skill with women. But soon Laurie's attention is consumed by threats to the local villagers, who are suffering under cruel tax collectors. If only there were an avenger brave enough to sweep in with blade in hand . . . a brave soul trained at riding and dueling, just as she is . . . Cade's desire for beautiful Laurie Allen is tainted by his memories of betrayal by another southern belle; he learned a hard lesson about trusting Laurie's type. He wants to possess Laurie, to own her body and soul but not to love her. What is the hint of danger around her? Cade suspects his competition for her affections might just be El Vengador--The Avenger--the masked rider who's been stealing from the corrupt tax collectors. But is The Avenger her partner in crime, or does Laurie need his protection? Virginia Brown is the author of more than 50 novels in romance, mystery and general fiction. She's the author of the bestselling Dixie Divas mystery series.

Download or read book Heaven on Earth written by Virginia Brown and published by Bell Bridge Books. This book was released on 2015-07-28 with total page 340 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A prim lady. A Scottish rogue. Heaven help them. A dangerous ocean voyage . . . Straight-laced teetotaler Elizabeth Lee and roguish Scotsman Kincade MacKay are bound for the American frontier on the same storm-tossed ship--and it's not big enough for their battle of wills. Two star-crossed strangers . . . He won't stand for her lectures on the evils of hard drinking, and she won't bear his troublemaking ways. Yet she can't stop thinking about him, and he can't resist the thought of kissing her until neither of them can remember what they're fighting about. A guardian angel playing Cupid . . . Tabitha helps them survive the journey, but once the mismatched couple reach shore, still at odds and battling their passions, even an angel will need some help . . . Virginia Brown has written more than fifty novels. Many of her books have been nominated for Romantic Times' Reviewer's Choice awards, Career Achievement Awards for Love and Laughter, and Career Achievement Awards for Adventure. She also writes the bestselling Dixie Divas mystery series.

Download or read book Summer s Knight written by Virginia Brown and published by Bell Bridge Books. This book was released on 2015-02-24 with total page 341 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Will their passion survive her dangerous secret? Shipping heiress Summer St. Clair flees from an arranged marriage only to end up penniless and alone in the unfamiliar streets of London. Her ordeal turns into a different type of challenge--one even more frightening--when a dangerously handsome rogue offers his protection. Jamie Cameron pledges to be Summer's chivalrous knight . . . but he secretly longs to possess this woman of beauty and spirit. Carefully planning the ultimate seduction, he never expected her innocent charms to pierce his armor and expose his lonely heart. From London's bawdy back alleys to the wild Scottish Highlands, Summer and Jamie wage a thrilling tug-of-war. Yet even as she succumbs to his fiery touch, Summer keeps a dangerous secret, a secret that might shatter the deep love that has grown between them. Virginia Brown is the author of more than fifty novels in romance, mystery, and general fiction. Her bestselling Dixie Divas Mystery Series continues in 2015 with a sixth novel. She lives in a small Mississippi town that inspires her stories about Holly Springs.

Download or read book Her Highland Outlaw written by Virginia Brown and published by Bell Bridge Books. This book was released on 2024-03-15 with total page 359 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: It was a time of warring clans, bitter rivalries…and stolen kisses. With soldiers marching into Glencoe intent on massacre, Lianna Fraser is forced to flee…but ends up falling from a rocky overpass into the arms of the very enemy she's trying to evade. Cameron McKenzie has lost his ancestral lands and family because of Campbell, the war-mongering Earl of Breadalbane. Now, he's forced to march by Campbell's side to save his only surviving brother from the hangman's noose. But when fate offers him a chance to save another—a woman whose entire clan will soon be lost, he has no choice but to escape into the Scottish Highlands with her. They are hunted, bound together by betrayal and desire. He knows she'll never truly believe his innocence, or trust in his vow to keep her safe. But he intends to do just that, even if it costs him his life. Praise for Virginia Brown: "A beautiful story full of secrets, humor, suspense and love."—Sabrina, Goodreads reviewer on Never Tempt a Duke "This was a fantastic read, entertaining, educational…and one that will keep the reader's attention from word one to the last syllable."—Judith, Goodreads reviewer on Wildest Heart About the Author: Virginia Brown has written more than fifty historical and contemporary romance novels. Many of her books have been nominated for Romantic Times' Reviewer's Choice Award, Career Achievement Award for Love and Laughter, and Career Achievement Award for Adventure. She is also the author of the bestselling Dixie Diva mystery series and the acclaimed, award-winning, mainstream Southern drama/mystery, Dark River Road.

Download or read book Harley Rushes In written by Virginia Brown and published by BelleBooks. This book was released on 2012-03-30 with total page 222 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Local Tour Guide Breaks Jewelry Theft Ring and Helps Crack Murder Case, read the large headline. The leading sentence in the article said so much less than had really happened: Harley Jean Davidson, 27, tour guide for Memphis Tour Tyme, had a narrow escape from jewelry thieves Friday night that ended with an arrest on charges of grand larceny, attempted murder, and two counts of murder. Ms. Davidson was instrumental in capturing the suspect . . . In Hound Dog Blues, Harley Jean proved that a Gen X slacker can kick butt along with the rest of the crime-solving gurus. Now she's up to her handlebars in mystery again. Her Aunt Darcy, an interior designer, needs Harley's help catching a smuggler of prized artifacts. When Harley finds Aunt Darcy's suspicious business partner hanging off her shop's elk antlers, Harley can't help but wonder if Aunt Darcy murdered him. Soon Harley's already quirky life spins way off the Normal Meter again, with another corpse in the mix, an assault by cranky farm animals, a kidnapping attempt, and surprise assistance from a temperamental Siamese cat. Add hunky detective Mike Morgan to the trouble, plus the usual collection of Elvis impersonators, psychics and unpredictable relatives. The city of the blues, the King and the mighty Mississippi is about to get steamy. The jailhouse will rock, someone may get caught in a trap, and Harley's in the middle of it all-taking care of business. Maybe she was in mid-life crisis. Only four more months and she'd only be three years away from thirty, and here she was with just one serious relationship behind her--two if she wanted to count George Goldfish, now freed in the Audubon Park koi pond. Of course, her on and off relationship with Bobby Baroni through the years had been more friendship than anything serious, despite the fact they'd tried out the physical stuff a long time ago. She loved Bobby, but only as a friend. Besides, he was dating an exotic dancer at the moment, a really hot blonde who went by the name of Angel. And she had Mike Morgan. A shiver dispelled some of the heat inside the car. Oh yes. He was definitely a distraction. A hold-on-to-your-panties-this-is-gonna-be-good kind of distraction. He made her want to swear off panties altogether. Why did she have to go and get sidetracked by an undercover cop? Harley made one last trip to the nightclub's bathroom. One glance in the bathroom mirror was enough to convince her that four beers were past her limit. She looked like something out of Fright Night. Suddenly, the bathroom light went out. "Hey! I'm still in here!" She fumbled with the latch on the stall door, then eased out and felt her way along the tiled wall. She bumped into the sink and ricocheted off the opposite wall. Swearing loudly, she wrenched open the bathroom door and ran right into a solid wall of muscle. A smelly bag was yanked over her head and her arms were pinned in a viselike grip as she was dragged down the hallway and out into the alley. Whoever had her was trying to force her into a car, and she was just as determined not to go. Somehow, she got her legs up with one foot braced on each side of the open door. She blindly grabbed for a handful of his clothes to pull him off balance. He made a high-pitched sound like a loose fan belt and dropped her. His family jewels were probably missing a few stones by now. She crawled away and stumbled to her feet, ripping the bag from her head to yell for help. That was when someone smacked her on the side of the head and she saw stars explode in front of her eyes. She hit the ground in the alley hard. Unable to move, she just lay there staring up at the stars. Then someone bent over her, squeezing her cheeks together and peering into her eyes. "Hey, are you all right? Talk to me, honey. Focus . . . that's right, both eyes looking in the same direction at once, now." A face slowly came into focus. She blinked. Diana Ross? "Why'd you break up the Supremes?" Diana laughed and said to someone else nearby, "She's coming around. She's just not making much sense yet." "Trust me, she doesn't make much sense when she hasn't been hit in the head," a familiar voice said. "I've never met anyone who can't even go to the bathroom without getting into some kind of trouble." That would be Morgan, Harley thought hazily. He sounds upset. Virginia Brown is the author of more than fifty novels, most recently the bestselling Dixie Diva Mysteries and the acclaimed mystery/drama, Dark River Road.

Download or read book Wildest Heart written by Virginia Brown and published by Bell Bridge Books. This book was released on 2013-01-31 with total page 354 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: He's the most dangerous gunman in the West. She's a "lady doctor" he can't resist. Will his secret torments keep them apart? How can she handle a wounded outlaw no respectable woman should go near? Romance and intrigue are about to collide in a steamy Texas town where sin, scandal and violence rule the night. A strange sort of current flowed between them, charged with as much intensity as a bolt of lightning. Devon felt it tighten around him, binding him to her in some inexplicable way that he couldn't explain and didn't want to acknowledge. His tone was involuntarily savage when he mut¬tered, "If I don't leave soon, Maggie Malone, I may do exactly that." "Do--?" He stood up, blood boiling in his veins as if heated. The memory of her soft skin was a temptation that he did his best to resist. "You know what I mean, dam¬mit." "No. I don't think I do. Devon . . . what are you--?" Without pausing to think, he reached out to pull her to him, one hand around her wrist and the other hand moving to the small of her back. Maggie seemed to melt into him, her body boneless, soft breasts pressing against his chest as he pulled her close. His mouth found hers, and he kissed her with a fierce urgency that grew hotter and higher when she made a small noise in the back of her throat. Ah God, she was so sweet and fine, so damn fine. He couldn't help himself. He knew better than to touch her, better than to kiss her. He knew he wouldn't want to stop at kisses, and Maggie deserved to be treated with more respect. So why wasn't he stopping? Virginia Brown is the award-winning author of nearly fifty novels in historical romance, mystery and general fiction.